Creating a cash flow budget tool

GET TING STARTED

Creating a cash flow budget

A cash flow budget is all about tracking the timing of your income and expenses to make sure you have enough from week to week.

Before you can build a cash flow budget, you will need to track your income, resources, and expenses for at least one month. Use the "Income and benefits tracker" in Module 3 and the "Spending tracker" in Module 4 to help you get started. You'll need the information from both of these tools to create your cash flow budget.

What to do

??Enter your beginning balance for the week. ??Add all of the income and benefits you receive that week. Subtract all of your

expenses for that week. Include the money you spend on everyday expenses, bills, and savings. Also include benefits you use to pay for things that would otherwise be paid for with cash, such as SNAP and TANF. Remember that some benefits may only be used for specific expenses. For example, like SNAP benefits can be used for food, but not household items, like paper towels. If you receive a housing subsidy, include the full value of the subsidy under income and resources and the full market rate of your rent under expenses.

??What's left is your ending balance. If it's positive, you have enough income and benefits to make it through the week. If it's negative, you're falling short.

??Copy your ending balance for the week to the beginning balance of the next week. Repeat these steps for the rest of the weeks that month.

A step further

If it looks like there are weeks where your expenses are more than your income and benefits, you can use the "Improving cash flow" tool to brainstorm some strategies for getting back on track.

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Consider expense and income timing by Creating a cash flow budget

1. Enter your starting balance for the month under Week 1. This is the total amount of money available to you from cash on-hand, prepaid cards, and checking and saving accounts.

2. Write down the amounts you receive during Week 1 from the categories listed. If you have income from other categories, add them together and write them under "Other."

3. Add up all your income for Week 1 and enter under "Total income."

4. Write down the amounts you spend during Week 1. If you have expenses from other categories, add them together and write them under "Other."

5. Subtract all the expenses for Week 1 from the "Total income" for Week 1. Write this amount in "Ending weekly balance."

6. Copy the amount from "Ending weekly balance" from Week 1 into the "Starting balance" for Week 2. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the remaining weeks in the month.

BEGINNING W E E K LY BALANCE

ADD MONEY YOU RECEIVE EACH WEEK

Total income

SUBTRACT YOUR WEEKLY EXPENSES

ENDING W E E K LY BALANCE

WEEK 1 Starting balance

1 $250

+ 300

2 + 100

+

= 650

3 -- 200 4 -- 35

-- 15

WEEK 2

$400

=

= 400 =

5

6

WEEK 3

$

=

=

WEEK 4

$

=

=

WEEK 5

$

=

=

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BEGINNING W E E K LY BALANCE

Your starting balance is a total of your cash, prepaid card, and account balances.

Job 1

ADD

Job 2

MONEY YOU

Housing subsidy

RECEIVE EACH WEEK

SNAP

TANF

Other

Total income

SUBTRACT YOUR W E E K LY EXPENSES

Cell phone

Debt payment

Eating out

Education and childcare Entertainment

WEEK 1

Starting balance

$

WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5

Wk. 1 ending balance

$

0

Wk. 2 ending balance

$

0

Wk. 3 ending balance

$

0

Wk. 4 ending balance

$

0

+

+

+

+

+

+

=

0=

0=

0=

0=

0

--

--

--

--

--

Groceries and other supplies

--

Health expenses --

Helping others

--

Housing and utilities --

Pets

--

Savings for emergency fund

--

Savings for goals like education or -- retirement

Transport

--

Other

--

ENDING W E E K LY BALANCE

=

0=

0=

0=

0=

0

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This tool is included in the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection's Your Money, Your Goals: A financial empowerment toolkit. The Bureau has prepared this material as a resource for the public. This material is provided for educational and information purposes only. It is not a replacement for the guidance or advice of an accountant, certified financial advisor, or otherwise qualified professional. The Bureau is not responsible for the advice or actions of the individuals or entities from which you received the Bureau educational materials. The Bureau's educational efforts are limited to the materials that the Bureau has prepared. This tool may ask you to provide sensitive information. The Bureau does not collect this information and is not responsible for how your information may be used if you provide it to others. The Bureau recommends that you do not include names, account numbers, or other sensitive information and that users follow their organization's policies regarding personal information.

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